Polyketone polymers are of considerable interest because they exhibit many desirable physical properties which make them suitable for engineering thermoplastic applications. In particular, high molecular weight linear alternating polyketone polymers possess such properties as high strength, rigidity, toughness, chemical resistance, and wear properties. While these properties are adequate for many applications it would be of advantage to further improve certain properties such as environmental stress crack resistance, chemical resistance, creep resistance, increased use temperature and increased tensile strength. One method known in the art for providing these improvements has involved the crosslinking of linear polymer chains of a thermoplastic polymer. An example of this is polyethylene which can be made to exhibit increased durability, use temperature and strength through post-reactor crosslinking.
In order to maintain good melt processability and flow during part fabrication it is generally desirable to utilize polymers of substantially linear molecular structure before crosslinking. Therefore, it is particularly desirable to have a simple procedure which can crosslink the substantially linear polymer after melt processing. Crosslinking a polymer after melt processing is useful in maintaining a high degree of crystallinity in the final part and allows common methods of melt fabrication such as injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding to be used.